How Glooskap made the birds

How Glooskap made the birds

Long ago, in the days of ancient tales, mighty Wolf-Wind roamed the northern lands. His home lay far to the north, in the Land of Night. Sometimes he sat quietly for days, leaving the sea smooth, the grass still, and the leaves motionless.

But when Wolf-Wind was angry, he could be heard from afar.

Awooooo!

He would fly into the forests, bend young trees, sway old pines, raise waves and drive clouds across the sky.

Families of fishermen once lived beside the great water. The adults took their boats out to check the nets, while the children stayed ashore.

Suddenly Wolf-Wind flew in from the north.

The sea darkened. The waves rose. The adults quickly hid in a quiet bay behind the rocks and could not return home right away.

And the children heard the roar of the wind and ran to find a safe place.

“This way!” the eldest girl shouted.

They hid in a small cave among the rocks. In front of the entrance was a large flat stone, and the children together moved it closer so that the wind would not blow inside.

Wolf-Wind howled near the rocks all night, but the cave was strong.

In the morning the storm moved on.

The children went outside. They knew that the adults would return as soon as the sea calmed down. But for now it was better to stay away from the open shore.

They ventured deeper into the forest and found a green valley filled with willows, birches, maples, oaks, and alders. The trees’ leafy crowns joined overhead like an immense green roof.

Wolf-Wind could not reach the children so easily here. The branches broke the force of his gusts, and the leaves whispered:

“Do not be afraid. We are beside you.”

All summer, the children stayed near the forest, waiting for their families. At last, the adults found them, and everyone rejoiced at being together again. They came to love the valley for its shelter and cool shade.

But Wolf-Wind did not forget about the trees.

“Those trees stood in my way,” he grumbled angrily.

When autumn came, Wolf-Wind returned with the cold. He circled between the trunks, pulled branches and broke off leaves.

Red and crimson leaves flew from the maples. Golden from the birches. Brown from the oaks. Yellow-green from the willows and alders.

The leaves circled in the air and fell to the ground in a colorful carpet.

Only the spruces, pines, cedars, and other evergreen trees stood strong. Their needles had not fallen, and they still provided shelter from the wind.

When the storm had died down, the children went out into the forest and were sad.

“The trees helped us,” they said. “And now their leaves are lying on the ground.”

Then Glooskap came to the valley, a great hero and wise magician of ancient tales. In this story, he listened to children’s wishes each year and helped wherever he could.

“What do you wish for?” he asked.

The children answered:

“We are not asking for ourselves. We want the leaves that sheltered us from Wolf-Wind to return to the trees.”

Glooskap looked for a long time at the colorful carpet under his feet.

“Fallen leaves can no longer be returned exactly as they were,” he finally said. “But a good deed should not disappear without a trace. I will give it another life.”

In those distant days, the tale says, the forest had no little songbirds. Gulls, cranes, ducks, and other large birds flew over the water, but no morning songs rang among the branches.

Glooskap bent down, picked up a handful of leaves and said:

“Let each leaf retain its color. Let it learn to fly, as it once circled in the air. Let the wind and water give it a voice. And let new birds return to the trees, because it was the leaves that gave them life.”

He swept his hand over the ground.

And a miracle happened.

The red maple leaves quivered and became birds with bright breasts. Golden birch leaves turned into tiny yellow singers. Brown oak leaves came alive in warm shades of brown and russet. The greenish leaves of willows and alders became light little birds that almost hovered in the air.

First there was one quiet sound:

“Chirp.”

Then another:

“Twee-lee-lee.”

And then the whole forest rang out.

The birds rose into the air and perched on the branches. They flitted from tree to tree, as though searching for their old kin: the leaves that would grow there again in spring.

The children laughed and listened.

“And what will happen in winter?” asked the smallest boy.

“When the bitter cold comes, many will fly to warmer places,” Glooskap answered. “In spring, they will return, and the trees will grow fresh leaves too. Wolf-Wind may howl, but he cannot take spring from the world forever.”

And so it happened.

When autumn comes, the leaves fall and swirl in the wind. When the cold approaches, many birds set off on a long journey. And in the spring, both the leaves and the birds' voices return.

At dawn, they awaken the forest with their singing. In the evening, they fall silent in the branches.

The old tale reminds us that a kindness which once gave shelter may change its shape without disappearing. Sometimes it returns to the world as a song.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨